I am new here (though not to rp), and this is my first game on E, so if I mess up on protocol, please let me know.

I am looking to start a game where you play a 4th level D&D character, whisked away by an unscrupulous wizard to his private island to fight to the death for this wealthy clients. It will be player versus player, armed with a weapon of your choice and not much else.

Here's the rub: the winner of each fights earns points, get 100 points and you earn your freedom. You earn 25 points as the victor, but they want more than a straight kill, they want entertainment. So, you can earn up to another 25 points by humiliating and debasing your opponents. This may mean sexual assault, mutilation, turning them into a purple frog, carving your initials in their forehead, whatever.

If you're interested, feel free to reply here. If the interest is out there, I'll start a thread.

Keep in mind that this is not 100% combat, in that I would like well-thought out characters with real personalities. Maybe your character desperately wants out, maybe he enjoys it so much he wants to stay. Either way, I'm looking for role-playing as well as action.

Yes, varying upon the imagination of your opponents. Basically, the players can do whatever they want to each other, which is why I am considering this in the "extreme" category. Of course, since it's a system game, you don't have to take this lying down (pun intended, sorry).

Atlus: It's up to you, but I find there are so few differences between the two games that I don't usually bother making a distinction. I'm playing with 3.0 books, but would have no problem if you made a character using 3.5.

• Level 4• Allowed books include the core books only• Don't bother with any equipment or weapons, since those will be supplied later• If you make a spellcaster, keep in mind that all spell components will be supplied to you, so you can choose your spells freely with that in mind• Your character can be good or evil, it's up to you. There's a bit of a moral dilemma here for good characters, considering that to gain your freedom faster, you have to really do a number on your opponent. That, however, is your problem.

Anyone who wants to play, go ahead and make up a sheet and send it to me directly in PM (so others can't see what you can do). For your character background, give a few paragraphs about the character's career so far. Being 4th level, they've been around the block a few times, and maybe have just started making a name for themselves. You can also include a paragraph about how you were abducted. Generally, Kiraxis has agents who scope out new "talent," and then abduct them usually through brute force, such as clubbing over the head and dragging them away, or drugging them. After being abducted, you wake up in a cell, which is where things will start off in the game.

Also, keep in mind, that if you like the game and get killed off, you can always whip up another character and get abducted all over again.

Ah, this sounds like an excellent game. The element of risk since you don't know whether you'll be on top or not is especially interesting.

Just wondering, but could I play a doppelganger? The 3.5 version is a bit ridiculous, with a level 4 adjustment with all its bonuses, so I was thinking something more along the lines of the 4e version. Base stats like a human, but able to change shape at will. No bonuses to skill points or extra feat.

The thing is, if I won, I'd like to be a male, and if I lost, I'd like to be a female.

There's a Changeling race in 3.5, which does just that. It's LA +0, so on par with the races in the PHB. It's in various books, and a core race in Eberron. It basically has the ability to alter it's own body within the limits of the alter self spell (but it's not the actual alter self spell. It's not a magic effect, and the changes are actually physically there, not just looking that way). I could give you the exact racial stats, if you want.

There's a Changeling race in 3.5, which does just that. It's LA +0, so on par with the races in the PHB. It's in various books, and a core race in Eberron. It basically has the ability to alter it's own body within the limits of the alter self spell (but it's not the actual alter self spell. It's not a magic effect, and the changes are actually physically there, not just looking that way). I could give you the exact racial stats, if you want.

Metis, that would be fine, and good idea Xillen. You're a Changeling, then, with the only ability to alter your physical form to some degree. That wouldn't include equipment, just your body and wouldn't allow any additional bonuses or abilities (like, giving yourself claws or alligator jaws to bite someone's head off.)

Normally, I would think such an innate ability would call for a LA, but considering this game, the disguise factor won't be too useful, it's mainly a dramatic effect.

When you get a chance, go ahead and PM a char sheet with a background, and we'll get this show on the road!

This sounds fun. I especially like the choice of low level and core only. With all books allowed we get into optimization territory, and that is not my thing.

Hmmm....so, losing one fight means your character dies? That means the contest could go on for a long, long time. If the leader dies he starts all over, and we'd be going through quite a number of characters.

Maybe this evil wizard guy brings them back to life after the fights with a point loss for losing?

Also, will it be one fight between two people at a time, with the rest having to wait for their turn, or could we play more fights at once so everyone can play? Given the nature of PbP, waiting for a turn could take weeks.

Just so you know, I am considering bumping the level up to 6 to make spellcasters a more relevant choice, but I wouldn't want to go any higher than that.

And yes, losing a fight will most likely mean you're dead. There's always going to be a single champion (i.e., whoever won the last fight), but I wouldn't necessarily characterize that person as the leader. There's no "endgame" to the tournament.

As far as the format of the fights go, you won't know until you hit the battlefield. Practically speaking, though, I will probably just throw everyone who wants to play out there at one time so they don't have to wait around.

Yeah, a simple, one paragraph background is fine. If anyone wants to pitch a character sheet at me, then go ahead. I have bumped the level up to 6, just so you know, mainly to give spellcasting classes a little more oomph.

Instead of death, it might be more practical--and a lot more appealing for most folks--if the loser simply became the slave of the winner. The way I see it, each battle could have a separate thread. After the battle, the thread would evolve into a master/slave situation, and after a time there'd be a challenger, with the winner of that getting two slaves. Etc.

Instead of death, it might be more practical--and a lot more appealing for most folks--if the loser simply became the slave of the winner. The way I see it, each battle could have a separate thread. After the battle, the thread would evolve into a master/slave situation, and after a time there'd be a challenger, with the winner of that getting two slaves. Etc.

That reminds me about some anime series that went about a tournament, where the participating champions had to have a woman at their side. Defeating another champion would mean that that champions female partner would become your slave. Female participants were permitted to be their own partner.

Metis, I appreciate the ideas, but I'm going for something with more tension here. I want the players going into each combat knowing this can be their last, and if you lose, terrible things will happen to you.

I've instituted a few variant rules, though, to make combat more interesting and perhaps mildly less lethal. It's possible to score knockout and stunning blows, as well as produce special combat effects when you attack. Also, opponents can surrender. So, it's possible to defeat your opponents without actually killing them.

Dive on in people, it's fun. Not knowing is the point. Your character may find fortune or be slaughtered in the first battle, but such is life. Coglio, have you ever heard of a manga called Battle Royale? It's a favorite of mine and this game reminds me of it very much. If you haven't read it you should check it out. I think you'd like it.

I just thought of a couple of questions. Do the contestants know how many points they have gathered? Also, when is victory declared? For instance if a character says "I surrender." Are they then considered the loser, or has one only lost once they have been killed or humiliated? Also, how do skills such as bluff, intimidate, and move silently, come into play? Should we ignore these skills in favor of roleplaying it out, or should a roll be made to see if a player accepts what is said (or done in the case of move silently)?

I just thought of a couple of questions. Do the contestants know how many points they have gathered? Also, when is victory declared? For instance if a character says "I surrender." Are they then considered the loser, or has one only lost once they have been killed or humiliated? Also, how do skills such as bluff, intimidate, and move silently, come into play? Should we ignore these skills in favor of roleplaying it out, or should a roll be made to see if a player accepts what is said (or done in the case of move silently)?

Guess that's more than a couple.

Lol, yeah, that's a "couple."

• Yes, the contestants are given their score at the end of each match and are aware of their grand total.• Victory is declared when Kiraxis is satisfied. Generally, it will be pretty obvious. In the case of a surrender, the combatant has to surrender, and the other combatant has to accept the surrender. It would be common, for instance, for a fighter to surrender, and the victor to only accept the surrender if the combatant did what he commanded.• Since rolls are made behind the scenes by me, you don't really know when a roll comes into play. However, a character's skills are taken into account and if a roll is feasible, then it will be made. For instance, an intimidate roll may be made to see if a character surrenders or not. In some cases, this will be roleplayed out, instead. For instance, if a character is about to be beaten, it wouldn't be unreasonable for the character to surrender without any intimidate or bluff roll required.